A Fork in the Road
by Writer Sage
Summary: When Dan Phantom returns ten years after the Ultimate Enemy, what is Danny going to do? A response to Wolflover77's story challenge. Takes place in the same universe as "The Parade's End".


A response to Wolflover77's story challenge.

Takes place in the same universe as "The Parade's End".

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DANNY PHANTOM YO!

* * *

Danny Phantom otherwise known as Danny Fenton was hearing a sound. In all honesty, it was probably the worst sound he had ever heard in his entire life and seeing as he's heard his dad sing, that was saying something. It was like a cat being run over by a monster truck while being stabbed by thousands of needles. After a moment, he realized something; that terrible awful sound was his screaming.

He was screaming louder and harder than he ever screamed in his entire life because before him lay his beautiful wife Samantha "Sam" Fenton née Manson and his best friend Tucker Foley. There they lay dead, he already knew without even checking. He turned to this _creature_ that had taken two of his most important people away. He was never so glad that his five year old daughter, Madeline Fenton, was visiting her aunt Jazz in Florida.

"You monster! You demon! You—" Danny started screaming.

"—Your true self," the creature said.

"I won't turn into you! It's already been ten years!" Danny screamed but the creature just chuckled.

"I see you don't realize what day this is, do you?" Not surprised by Danny's confused look, he pressed on. "This is the very same day _you_ encountered _me_ for the first time!"

"So, what?" Danny yelled. "Why do I care?"

"That fool Clockwork never did tell you," the demon laughed. "This is the last day I can exist! The last! Unless I replace your existence!"

"Huh?"

"It means that if I remove your very being from time and space itself, I can replace you!" He laughed and laughed at Danny's dumbfounded face. "After today, it shall be either Danny Phantom or Dan Phantom! Two kings can't play on one side of the board!"

"Looks like you took up Vlad's stupid chess metaphors too when you absorbed Plasmius," Danny quipped. "What's the matter? Can't come up with your own shtick."

Dan glared at the man who the last time he saw was merely a boy. They stood facing each other. White hair, green eyes meeting flaming white hair red eyes. Time seemed to have stopped momentarily as the two faced each other unflinchingly.

Distantly, unknown to both parties, a voice simply said, "Time in."

All of the sudden Danny went flying towards Dan, a fist clenched in a fist. Dan rose his as well meeting his punch with a punch of his own. Quickly, they starting punching and kicking, blocking and blowing faster than the eye could see. They rose higher and higher into the air, forcing their way into each others' guard.

Then Dan put his fists together and slammed them on top of Danny's head, sending him sailing through the building. Being stunned by the attack, he did not even have time to turn intangible while smashing through the building. When he hit the ground he heard Dan laugh above him, but this was nothing to Danny. He's felt worse, but knew Dan could still dish worse out. Getting up he rocketed towards Dan and started to spin, and shot a powerful ecto-beam at Dan that sent him sailing.

Danny knew he had to get them out of the city so with as much momentum as he could push, he grabbed the flying Dan Phantom and soared through Amity Park to an abandoned field. Dan wouldn't take this lying down though and kicked Danny to the ground and shot an ecto-beam right back at him. Quickly, both of them formed doppelgangers to take up the fight as the real ones caught their breath. The doppelgangers blasted and beat each other into oblivion much faster than either one would have liked.

"Give it up you foolish boy," Dan spoke superiorly. "You are but a half-ghost. I have long given up that weakness."

"Heh! It seems you have forgotten the benefits of being human," Danny laughed at him, though he didn't understand why he was laughing.

"I had nothing with those weak human emotions! I am far stronger without them," Dan said dangerously.

"Yeah, but you forgot the powerful ones!" Danny said. "Love, friendship…" He ran and punched Dan in the jaw, took a deep breath and let out a ghostly wail point blank in the face. As it died down, and Danny transformed back into his human form he said, "HATRED!"

Dan Phantom was hurting, that was admittedly a powerful attack, but he was far from finished. "Yes, I do see your point, but you have forgotten those weak ones. Fear, sadness…" Dan took a breath and let out a ghostly wail of his own. It lasted about three times as long as Danny's. "Fatigue."

He punched Danny in the stomach and shot an ecto-beam out that Danny only managed to dodge by turning intangible at the last second. However, he did not expect Dan to use another ghostly wail so soon and got blasted away. "Doubt."

Dan turned invisible and created doppelgangers; Danny was caught totally unaware and was blasted from all four directions. He fell to the ground in agony. "Loneliness."

Three of the doppelgangers powered up three ecto-blasts while the original held his breath for what he believed will be the last ghostly wail. At the last second Danny formed a dome ecto-shield around himself to take the attack, though it helped very little. He crumpled to the ground as the doppelgangers disappeared from existence and the real one walked over to him. Quickly he changed back into his ghost form, but was grabbed before he could make a move. "Desperation."

"But, there is a weakness that is greater than any emotion you could ever hope to feel…" Dan said charging what could only be described as an ecto-ball over his head. When it reached five yards in size, Dan threw it at him. Danny could only watch as it came down on him, too tired to dodge. When it hit, Danny screamed! It was like getting hit by a miniature sun! He burned and blackened and fell. As Dan looked in the crater and the charred remains of his alternate self, he could only say one thing, "Death."

"_Hi! You're name's Danny, right?" A five year old girl with black hair, lavender eyes to match her dress said._

"_Y-yeah," Danny said nervously as he looked at her. "Uh, you have nice eyes."_

_This must have been the right thing to say because suddenly the girl beamed at him. "Really? Most people just think their weird."_

"_They're not weird, just diff-er-ent," Danny said stumbling over the word "different"._

"_My mommy says that the stork that brought me got into an accident and gave me lav-lave-purple eyes," She said. "My name's Sam."_

"_Sam? Isn't that a boy's name?" Danny responded laughing. Sam just glared at him._

"_It's short for Samantha, but I don't like Samantha so I go by Sam," Sam said. "That's my best friend Tucker over there."_

_She pointed to a little black boy with short black hair, green eyes, red shirt, brown pants and black sneakers. He seemed to be holding a toy phone. Danny's heart sank, if she already had a friend, what did she need him for?_

"_Wanna come play with us?" Sam asked cheerfully._

"_Why?"_

"_Because it'll be fun!"_

"_But, you already have a friend, why do you need me?" Danny asked gloomily._

"_The more the merrier!" Sam chirped._

"_Get out of my way!" Sam growled._

"_Sam?" Danny and Tucker asked stunned. Sam was wearing a black tank top, lavender lip stick, a black skirt and black combat boots._

"_Is that you Sam?" Tucker asked for once putting his portable videogame player, FestivityMan, away. "What happened to you?"_

"_Nothing," Sam barked at him._

"_Uh…Sam, you're Goth!" Danny said. "What happened?"_

"_None of your business!" Sam yelled angrily._

"_Were your friends Sam, can't you trust us?" Danny asked and it seemed "friend" struck a chord with her. _

"_You mean you're still my friends?" Danny and Tucker gave her a look that plainly said, "Of course, we are!" Sam sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."_

"_But, Sam—"_

"_Not yet Tuck!" She glared. Danny seeing an argument waiting to happen decided to intervene._

"_So, did your parents say we could go with you guys next year?" _

"_Don't mention my parents!" Sam growled. "I hate those idiots!"_

"_I miss those idiots," Sam cried softly into Danny's shoulder. It had been a year since Danny saved the world and asked Sam to be his girlfriend. About a week and a half ago, Sam's parents were out for a drive to spy on Sam's date when they were hit by a truck. It seems the trucker fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle. Sam's parents died instantly._

"_I'm all that's left now that Nana died," Sam cried. "I didn't think I would miss them this much! Especially after…"_

"_After what Sam?" Tucker asked gently._

"_After they tried making me go to some snob boarding school," Sam sobbed. "'You're a lady Sam, you need to wear bright clothes.' 'A lady of your stature should eat only the finest food in the world.' 'You need more high class friends than those two boys.'"_

"_W-when did this happen?" Danny asked in disbelief._

"_S-second year of m-middle school," Sam hiccupped._

"_Is that why you went Goth?" Danny asked in sudden realization and Sam could only nod her head._

"_Those jerks," Tucker said quietly._

"_Yeah," Sam agreed sadly. "But, they were _my_ jerks."_

"_Listen Sam," Danny said nervously. "I need to talk to you."_

"_What about Danny?" Sam said as she unconsciously adjusted her graduation gown._

"_Can we go somewhere more private?" Danny pleaded. "Please."_

"_Fine Danny, but we better not be late," Sam told him._

_The two headed down an abandoned hallway away from the excited and nervous graduates and parents. Looking around they saw that they were alone._

"_Samantha Manson, I love you," Danny said and Sam looked surprised. He never called her Samantha._

"_I love you too Danny, but—"_

"_Sam do you see us together even after we graduate?" Danny asked for what must have been the hundredth time this year. And, just like always Sam answered, "Of course I do!"_

"_And, are you glad that we got in the same college?" Danny queried. _

"_You know I am!" Sam said confused about the situation. "I put too much work into helping you study not to be!"_

_Which was true; ever since her parents died last year, she had been living with the Fentons. Jack and Maddie were a little apprehensive at first since Danny and Sam were in a relationship, but when Sam started really helping with Danny's studies they realized how beneficial her being there was._

"_Sam, I want to be with you forever," Danny said. "Ever since that day you have come up to me in Kindergarten, I have wanted you by my side. First as a friend, and then as a girlfriend, but now I want more. Samantha Manson, will yo—"_

"_BEWARE!" A voice shouted out drowning out the rest of Danny's speech. "FOR I SHALL DEFEAT YOU WITH MY SQUARE CONTAINMENT UNITS OF DOOM!"_

"_I was in the middle of something important!" Danny screamed as he launched towards the Box Ghost only to be hit in the face with a wooden crate. It went on like that for a few minutes, Danny getting wacked every time he got close enough to the Box Ghost, the Box Ghost screaming like the lunatic and Danny getting frustrated, all of the while Sam stood wide eyed at Danny. Finally pulling out the Fenton thermos, Danny screamed, "You stupid ghost! I was right in the middle of proposing to Sam!"_

_After sucking up the Box Ghost he turned to see a flabbergasted Sam. "Danny—"_

"_Listen Sam, the last time I gave you a ring, I asked you to be my girlfriend," Danny interrupted her. "This time I want something more. Samantha Manson, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_

_Danny stood there on one knee patiently waiting for Sam to respond. After two minutes, he began to worry. Three minutes later, he was in an all out panic attack. "Listen Sam, if this is too sud—"_

"_YES!" Sam screamed interrupting him. Danny looked confused._

"_Huh?"_

"_YES! YES! YES! YES!" Sam repeated over and over again letting it sink into Danny's head. When it finally did he gave a cry of joy and picked up the now shorter than him Sam. She laughed happily and gave him a kiss with all of her love. Years later, Danny would still claim that it burnt his mouth._

_They were nearly late to graduation, the happiness coming off from them in waves._

_It was like the darkness, was slowly choking away their life. Danny, his wife Sam and best friend Tucker stood in the remains of Fenton Works._

"_I'm going to get him," Danny said dangerously quiet. "I don't know how, but I'm going to kill Pariah Dark."_

"_Listen Danny, revenge isn—" _

"_Sam, that monster killed my parents!" Danny screamed. "Thank God Jazz moved to Florida three weeks ago to study senior citizens minds or she would be dead too!"_

"_Dude, you need to cal—"_

"_Calm down Tuck? Calm down!" Danny screamed angrily. "How can I calm down when my parents were just _murdered_?"_

"_Danny!" Sam screamed slapping him across the face. "Calm down and think rationally! How are you going to defeat Pariah Dark when he destroyed his tomb?"_

_Danny didn't have an answer to that. He felt horrible though; he and Sam had decided to go to college on the West Coast, far away from Amity Park, Illinois. He thought he would lure the ghosts away from the place for a while. And, for the most part, he was right. Until a month and a half into their freshman year, Pariah Dark finally managed to destroy the tomb he was trapped in. He killed Danny's parents in revenge and left his mark there. Tucker, who had to go to college in Amity Park since he was still mayor, had called Danny and Sam up to tell him what happened. They were there so fast that Tucker claims he hadn't even hung up the phone yet._

"_I-I don't know," Danny admitted deflating before her eyes. "But, I can't do nothing."_

_They stood there in silence, contemplating what to do. If only the battlesuit wasn't stolen. But, Vlad had taken it and hid it after the first time Danny used it. Vlad, Sam thought, had killed Danny's parents in his own way. Vlad… Vlad!_

"_Oh!" Sam suddenly gasped when she remembered. "I totally forgot!"_

_Danny and Tucker could only watch confused as she dug through her bag that she always keeps their ghost hunting equipment in. All of the sudden she pulled out a dagger._

"_S-Sam, is that what I think it is?" Danny asked shuddering slightly. Several years ago, he had a dream about Vlad Masters and former operative of the Guys in White, Operative O, stabbing him to death with that same dagger. The dagger belonged to Pariah Dark's very own assassin since it has the special properties of being able to kill a ghost. A little later, his dream nearly came true, but instead he stopped both of them and took the dagger. He gave it to her for safe keeping._

"_Use it Danny," Sam said. "Pariah Dark can't be left any longer."_

"_She's right dude," Tucker said. "He's far too dangerous." Danny nodded his head in understanding, and took the dagger. Strapping it to his thigh, he took off._

"_Good luck Danny," Sam said worried._

"_Good luck dude," Tucker laughed. "Sam sounded like she was ready to kill you!"_

_Danny was so happy he forgot to even scowl at Tucker as he went into see Sam. She was there holding a little bundle in a pink blanket. She never looked so disheveled or exhausted in her life, but to Danny she was the most beautiful grown up creature alive._

"_Hey," Danny said scratching the back of his neck._

"_Hey," Sam said tiredly but smiling. "Come see our beautiful baby girl."_

_Danny didn't need any further prompting as he hurried over to Sam. Sam quickly handed her over to Danny, knowing he could be trusted to hold their child. The baby girl had brown-red hair and lavender eyes. It seems she was taking after her deceased grandma Fenton. Danny still shuddered at the memory of his parents' deaths two years previously. After that, he and Sam transferred to Casper College to avoid a tragedy like that again._

"_Name her Danny," Sam said. "I might be an empowered woman, but even I still have some old fashion senses left in me."_

"_Are you sure?" Danny asked._

"_Of course I am."_

_Danny got a very serious face on. One that Sam knew that he was thinking. Then he grinned, Sam realized it must be the perfect name for their ba-_

"_Paulina Fenton," Danny said in a serious voice._

"_No," Sam said glaring at him._

"_Valerie Fenton?" _

"_Nada."_

"_Alright, then Madeline Fenton," Danny said in a tone that suggested this was the name he was really going to choose. Sam's eyes softened at that, and nodded slightly._

"_Thanks Sam, I owe you one," he told her handing back the newly named Madeline._

"_It was no problem Danny," Sam said. "I told you Jazz would be thrilled to look after Maddie for a while."_

"_Yeah, but he really needed this," Tucker said. "We've all been so busy lately…"_

"_Well, let's enjoy our free day to ourselves and head over to Nasty Burger for old time's sake," Danny said. The trio headed there and order and sat in their old booth. The trio talked almost constantly about everything and anything, when it happened. The roof was ripped right off the ceiling and people screamed when they saw the horrible monster. Using their natural instincts, they fled faster than anyone fled before._

"_Dan!" Sam screamed in horror!_

"_But, Clockwork was supposed to have you!" Tucker yelled fearfully._

"_Ha! Like that busybody old fool could hold me forever!" Dan laughed charging up an ecto-blast. Before Danny could react, he was shot clear across the parking lot. Dan laughed at the too stunned adults—they couldn't even remember how to move. Suddenly Dan started blasting the sauce, heating it exponentially. Danny struggled to his feet just in time to hear Sam scream, "Danny, no matter what, don't let him win!"_

_The Nasty Burger exploded just as it did all those years ago, but this time Clockwork had not shown up to save them. This time, they really did die. This time Danny could do nothing but scream…_

I won't let you down Sam, _Danny thought._

Suddenly, Danny Phantom's eyes shot open. He looked up to see Dan scowling at him, obviously realizing he wasn't dead yet. Danny knew he couldn't beat him, but also realized he didn't have to. Using his freezing powers he shot a giant snowball at Dan. Since Dan had never developed this particular ability, he was caught off guard. Danny struggled to get up, and retransformed into his ghost half.

"It's not over Dan," Danny said panting. "I promised Sam I wouldn't let you win."

"Oh, you promised," Dan mocked.

"Yeah, I did."

"Give it up boy," Dan said menacingly. "You can't beat me!"

"Who said I need to beat you to win?" Danny laughed. "Tell me Dan, what time is it?"

Dan looked confused, but then a look of horror came across his face. "No! I won't disappear yet!"

In his desperation he flew at Danny ready to launch a punch right at his face, but his hand dematerialized.

"Didn't you say something about desperation being a weak human emotion?" Danny said standing proud. "Looks like you still have some human left in you after all."

Dan didn't care, it was over. He was quickly dematerializing right before his eyes. He had lost, his alternate self had not beaten him, but Danny Phantom still won against Dan Phantom. "NO!"

And, with that final cry, Dan Phantom disappeared from existence. "I did it Sam. I didn't let him win."

"Indeed you did," a voice said from behind him. Danny turned to see a smirking Clockwork.

"Are you here to turn back time again?" Danny asked hopefully.

"No," Clockwork said and Danny's heart sank. "I'm here to drop off a couple of people. I owe them a favor see, they were the reason it took Dan so long to escape and then reach you."

Suddenly a portal opened, and Danny was shocked. One was a girl who looked surprisingly like him while the other was a white haired man wearing a black tuxedo. Danielle Phantom and Vlad Masters had arrived on the scene.

"Close your jaw Daniel," Vlad said smugly. "You'll catch flies."

Danny quickly closed his jaw. "What are you doing here Vlad?"

"We came to help Danny!" Danielle said cheerfully, though he noticed a bit of a sad tone as well. "We're going to bring Sam and Tucker back."

Danny looked dumbfounded. They were going to bring them back? Was that even possible?

"Yes, it is possible Danny Phantom," Clockwork told him. "Half-Ghosts are creatures who still hold life within themselves. If they surrender their life and soul, they can bring back someone from the dead. Although, they must have a strong reason too and the Half-Ghost must never have had children."

Danny too stunned to say pick up really anything, asked about the last thing he heard. "Why can't they have had children?"

"Because my dear boy," Vlad said. "To have a child is to already give life to another being. You are no longer fully you when that happens."

"B-but, you'll die!" Danny exclaimed finally.

"No, we won't," Danielle said smiling sadly. "We won't exist at all."

"I can't let you do this Danielle!" Danny yelled. "I can't have you disappear just for Sam and Tucker! It's not right!"

"You are not the only one who decides which road their parade will take," Clockwork said. Vlad and Danielle moved over to Sam and Tucker's bodies. Danny stopped, when had they gotten back to the Nasty Burger? He looked over to see Clockwork looking smug.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry Daniel," Vlad said. "After I accidentally let Pariah Dark loose again, I saw what a fool I was. I could not revive your parents or Valerie Foley since there was nothing left, but I will make this up to the young man."

"It was fun seeing the world, but I couldn't have felt more useless," Danielle told Danny. "You know, being your clone and all, I have a natural care for Sam. I can't just let her die, not like this. I'm just glad I got to see Maddie at least once in my life."

Danny looked on sadly as a blue glow came from their bodies and slowly connected into Sam and Tucker's bodies. Slowly, Vlad and Danielle started to fade away. "Goodbye," all three said at the same time. A few moments later they had disappeared.

"Farewell, Danny Phantom," Clockwork said. "We may never meet again."

When Clockwork disappeared, he saw Sam and Tucker begin to stir. Danny ran over to them and scooped them both in a big hug.

"Wha?" Sam asked in dazed confusion. "Ooh, what hit me?"

"Sam!" Danny started crying. "You're alive!"

"Danny? Don't squeeze so tight dude," Tucker said breaking free from Danny's grasp. Danny didn't mind, he just clung Sam tighter.

"Danny are you crying?" Sam asked worried.

"I-it's fine," Danny said. "Well, no it's not, but it will be. J-just let me hold you a little longer."

And, so Danny held Sam in his lap with Tucker and him back to back telling them what had happened. Sam and Tucker were furious with Vlad, but Danny told them to let him be. Vlad had at least seen the error of his ways. After a few moments, they fell asleep with a sad, but content smile.


End file.
